Rye committee backs bid to save historic home from demolition
RYE — The Rye Demolition Review Committee has determined it’s in the town’s “best interest” to preserve the historic former home of schooner Capt. Gardiner T. Locke and save it from the wrecking ball.
Two preservationists are leading efforts to protect from demolition the vacant two-story colonial residence at 237 Locke Road, owned by Rye resident Kurt Jackson. Jackson resides next to the old home and is offering to give it away for free in order to protect it, though that would require it being taken from the lot in full or dismantled piece by piece.
Jackson is looking to potentially build a larger house on the property in place of the existing home, while keeping a multi-stable barn that sits next to the historic home. The homeowner has not applied for his building permits, according to historic home preservationist David Choate, who chairs the town’s Demolition Review Committee and works as executive vice president for Colliers commercial real estate firm.
Choate and town historian Alex Herlihy have been giving tours of the Locke Road home to parties interested in taking ownership of the building. So far, they haven’t found a new owner, though they’re confident they’re getting closer to extending the storied home’s life.
“I think that we’ve gotten more interest than I had expected, frankly. We’ve just got to translate that into somebody that can take that off (the property),” said Choate, who is also a member of the Rye Historic District Commission.
The Demolition Review Committee held a public hearing last Thursday, Jan. 25 on the idea of the residence being demolished.
In their notice of decision, Choate and fellow committee members Jennifer Madden and Elizabeth Sanborn wrote they “unanimously determined that the structure has such architectural importance and
historical significance that it is in the Town's best interest to have it preserved, if possible.”
“The Committee voted that the building to be demolished is of high architectural importance and historical significance so … every effort should be made to save it,” the notice reads. “Therefore, the approval of the demolition permit is conditioned upon the owner having received all other necessary permits to construct his new house and is cooperating with the Committee to find an alternative to demolition. Further, and assuming no earlier alternative is found, the Committee will work with the Town to try and ensure that the house is not demolished until the new house is constructed.”
The historic house was built on the Gardiner Towle Locke Homestead on land purchased from Thomas J. Parsons in 1843. Its original features include three fireplaces, exposed beams, molding and a curved center staircase.
“All we can do is keep publicizing that this house can be moved and stored and later be rebuilt so the cost is not overwhelming,” Herlihy said.
Following the public hearing, Herlihy received an estimate from Preservation Timber Framers in Berwick that it would cost $150,000 to $200,000 to dismantle the house, move the frame and all the home's historic interior parts to another lot and store them. That estimate does not include the cost of potentially reassembling the home on a new foundation, he noted.
A previous cost estimate from one party to take away the home and reassemble it on land they owned came in at $500,000 to $700,000, which Herlihy believed was too high and prompted him to seek a second opinion.
“It does look like with enough time we could maybe find someone,” Choate said.
In June, Jackson bought the home for $1.5 million from the Mullaly Family Trust. Jackson has owned his adjacent 231 Locke Road home since March 2018.
The 237 Locke Road home was most recently assessed by the town at $810,600. Jackson's new home would be located on the back side of the 237 Locke Road lot, if proposed and approved.
According to Choate, homes are required to be greater than 500 square feet and over 50 years old to be considered for demolition review in Rye.
Demolition of properties in Rye cannot occur before applicants receive their zoning, building and other necessary land-use permits, all of which would be awarded before a demolition permit from the town.
Parties interested in possibly owning the home and moving it from Locke Road can contact Herlihy via email at alexherlihy@comcast.net.